Formerly, people were very happy so far material conditions were concerned. They had no complaint. Everyone was happy, everyone was getting ample food. And why they shall not get? The birds, beasts, they are getting their ample food, even up to death. There is no complaint amongst the birds and beast, unless one is in the human society. Otherwise in the jungle there are major portion of the animals and birds.
They have no complaint. They do not come in the city that, "We have this complaint." They are happy. They are getting ample food; life is very happy. They have got their eating, they have got their sleeping, they have got their mates for sex life and they know how to defend. Everything is there. There is no problem. Only in the human society they have created problems, because they have no knowledge. The so-called knowledge is useless. Unless you cannot (sic) solve the problems, what is the meaning of this knowledge? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says knowledge means one must know this is my real, acute miserable condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is knowledge.
So to begin with knowledge, Kṛṣṇa recommends amānitvam, humility. Because the real disease of material life is that he is not humble. He is always proud, little possession. Svalpa-jala mātrena . . . (indistinct) . . . just like the big fish in the ocean. They are deep within the water, and if you find out a small lake, little water, you'll find small fishes, "parput-parput," they're doing there. So there is no depth of knowledge. Simply they're perplexed. Therefore this education should be given, how to become humble. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Paripraśnena sevayā. One has to learn by service, by praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means surrender. There is no surrender. Nobody is prepared to surrender. "Oh, why shall I surrender? I know everything." Puffed-up unnecessarily.
So therefore Kṛṣṇa says the material disease is that rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaśca ye (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ means rajo-guṇa—kāma and lobha. Ignorance. Everyone is thinking, "If I become greedy, I shall get more." That is not possible. You cannot get a farthing more than what you are destined. But it is ignorance. He's thinking, "By simply struggling hard, I'll get more." The śāstra says: "No, don't do it. So far your material condition is concerned, it is already destined with your body. You have got a certain type of body, and according to that body you'll get certain amount of pleasure and pains. That is already destined." This is called adṛṣṭa, adaiva. Your main business is if you want to make success your life, then save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is proper utilization of life. That does not depend on destiny. That you can do. That you can do.
So far other things are . . . therefore śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). You have traveled, sometimes up, sometimes down. Up means upper planetary system; down means lower planetary system. Urdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you develop sattva-guṇa, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. If you remain in the passion modes of nature, then you may remain within this world or few others. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If you habituate jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti . . . just like nowadays people are being taught: "Drink wine, eat meat, and do whatever you like." Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So they will go down, animal life.
So they have no knowledge. And the leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are blind and they are leading other blind men. So it is a very dangerous civilization. In spite of being born in India, in spite of having the privilege of studying Bhagavad-gītā, they are not taking advantage of it, and they are being misled like cats and dogs. Very regrettable condition. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only challenge to this devilish life of the human society. So I request everyone to study this philosophy very carefully and take advantage of it.
Thank you very much.